Good to Know W TORONTO PRIDE OF PLACE After extensive renovations and a long closure, the refl agged hotel opens at an iconic intersection by Sandra Eagle Situated close to the axis of Yonge and Bloor, the W Toronto showcases a play- ful nod to the past and present of Yorkville’s storied music and art scene. Opening itself up to a bright street-level entry with the Public School coffee- house and lounge, the real heart of the hotel is situated on the sixth-fl oor lobby, where 30-ft. high fl oor-to-ceiling windows surround the 5,000-sq.-ft. Living Room. This area includes the welcome desk, a communal “fi re” pit, a circular destination bar featuring Toronto’s largest champagne by-the- glass selection and access to The Yard, an outdoor terrace surrounded by a three-storey atrium of guestroom windows. You can even buy Moët & Chandon champagne minis from the eponymous vending machine. The hotel boasts Canada’s fi rst W Sound Suite, the brand’s signature recording studio experience. Behind a tinted window, it’s outfi tted with professional equipment where accomplished and novice musicians, podcasters and other creatives can draw inspiration from the city and hotel scene. Guestrooms sport whimsical design touches signifying Toronto’s “Hollywood North” moniker. This includes curved banquettes, dressing room-style vanity mirrors, “record”-like tables in honour of Toronto’s musical legacy and nods to nature like the abstract fl oral wallpaper and mushroom-shaped accent lights. There are 254 guestrooms, including 30 suites, two of which are presidential suites. The hotel’s meeting space maxes out at 4,679 sq. ft. The largest event space is 1,947 sq. ft., hold- ing 150 seated or 200 for recep- tions. This space is divisible into three smaller rooms. Four smaller meeting rooms, Studios 1 and 2 and Strategy 1 and 2 adjacent to the sixth-fl oor lobby, are perfect for smaller meetings. NOTE WORTHY But the jewel in this crown is Skylight, on the ninth fl oor, a roof- top indoor-outdoor bohemian oasis, featuring vast windows with an impressive bird’s-eye view of Bloor Street, plenty of low, jewel-toned couches and a massive central bar. Skylight is also serviced by a direct glass elevator from the street. Dining encompasses shareable plates with distinctive Mediterranean fl avour profi les with mezze, tagines and salads, plus an impressive Tower of Seafood fi lled with oysters, clams, shrimp cocktail, escabeche, tuna and scallop crudos, king crab legs, lobster and caviar. In addition to the bazaar-inspired main room, Skylight fea- tures The Loft (for semi-private events); The Den (an intimate seating, people-watching nook); and outside on The Terrace, birdcage-style seating lets you soak in the vibrant sights and sounds of the city. Living Room Skylight Fall 2022 | Ignitemag.ca | 13
